Congress is currently considering several bills that would overhaul and improve our criminal justice system by reducing mandatory minimum sentences and promoting rehabilitation instead of punishment. The push for criminal justice reform enjoys both bipartisan support and popular support among the American populace.

Unfortunately, the Koch Brothers and their cronies are trying to latch onto this momentum for their own purposes. The House is currently considering the Koch-backed H.R. 4002 (sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner [R-WI-5]), a bill that which would serve as a ?Get Out of Jail Free? card for white collar criminals.

The bill would require federal prosecutors to prove that a white collar defendant acted with ?intent? in cases where federal law does not currently specify a required mental state. This means that white collar criminals would be able to evade punishment for a host of crimes, EVEN IF they acted with negligence, gross negligence, or recklessness.

Federal prosecutors already face grave difficulty is proving ?intent? for corporate misdeeds because culpable criminal conduct is often hidden deep within the corporate veil, underneath layers of management, boards and bureaucracy. The Great Recession of 2008 is a telling example of federal prosecutors' inability to punish corporate wrongdoing. Malfeasance on Wall Street produced a financial crisis that extinguished nearly 40% of family wealth from 2007 to 2010, pushing the household net worth back to 1992 levels. Despite these appalling statistics, not even ONE executive at a major Wall Street bank was criminally charged for playing a role in the 2008 global financial collapse. Everyday Americans were forced to pay the price for rampant speculation, mismanagement and fraud on Wall Street.

H.R. 4002 would make it even more difficult for prosecutors to punish white collar crime. And criminals would be emboldened to take further advantage of shareholders, employees, consumers, and the public.

Even the Department of Justice, which has been notoriously lax in prosecuting white collar criminals, has lambasted H.R. 4002, observing that the bill would weaken countless federal statutes that currently protect the public from dangers like unsafe food and medicine.

We need you to stand in favor of the American people not corporate America. Please oppose H.R. 4002.

Public Comments

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Nov 9th, 2016

John
B.
from Las Vegas, NV
signed.

Sep 15th, 2016

Someone
from High Point, NC
signed.

Sep 15th, 2016

Someone
from Baden, PA
signed.

Sep 14th, 2016

Someone
from Hamden, CT
writes:

The section in question (see below) is a clear attempt to force the federal government to apply mens rea to white collar criminal proceedings. Who in their right mind would say they knew what they were doing was illegal, but they did it anyway?
§ 11. Default state of mind proof requirement in Federal criminal cases
?If no state of mind is required by law for a Federal criminal offense?
?(1) the state of mind the Government must prove is knowing; and
?(2) if the offense consists of conduct that a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances would not know, or would not have reason to believe, was unlawful, the Government must prove that the defendant knew, or had reason to believe, the conduct was unlawful.

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Jun 27th, 2016

Someone
from Boston, MA
signed.

May 9th, 2016

Someone
from Everett, WA
writes:

Do NOT allow this. People intentionally structure involvement so that they are not directly culpable, even when they consciously know, and my be the author of the activities through another vehicle. Do not allow this legal protection for that type of behavior.

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May 7th, 2016

Someone
from Wiscasset, ME
signed.

May 6th, 2016

Someone
from Cashiers, NC
signed.

Apr 7th, 2016

Someone
from Wesley Chapel, FL
signed.

Apr 4th, 2016

Someone
from Montgomery, TX
signed.

Mar 22nd, 2016

Someone
from Fort Washington, MD
writes:

any legislation that the Koch brothers endorse will not have a positive outcome for average working Americans. I oppose this and any legislation that doesn't improve the life, liberty or freedom and pursuit of happiness for Americans, not corporate entities and others like the Koch brothers who only seek to increase their own wealth.

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Feb 5th, 2016

Someone
from Philadelphia, PA
signed.

Feb 4th, 2016

Someone
from Fremont, CA
writes:

The bill should be renamed: Affluenza Amnesty for Entitlement Mentality, White Collar Criminals. These inclusions are an admission of guilt for the Koch's, Manhattan Institute & Heritage Foundation. If they have not committed any crimes than, they should have nothing to worry about. I believe it was that exact rationale that explained the necessity of putting cameras everywhere in public spaces. A sincere thank you to the Koch's, Manhattan Institute and Heritage Foundation for giving my republican partner one more reason to vote DEMOCRAT in 2016. The fact that they have gone through the trouble of being involved in this bill at all, is like an upfront admission of guilt. Suckers!

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Jan 4th, 2016

Someone
from Cibolo, TX
signed.

Dec 31st, 2015

Someone
from Warwick, RI
signed.

Dec 31st, 2015

Someone
from Salem, VA
writes:

The wealthy criminal class wants it all.
The only people in the US who can be prosecuted for any crimes are now ordinary citizens.
Everyone else,the pols,stars, the wealthy and privelidged are never prosecuted and is they are they always get probation/rehab not jail time.
WAKE UP you stupid politicians! we are WATCHING YOU!!!!!

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Dec 22nd, 2015

Someone
from Front Royal, VA
signed.

Dec 20th, 2015

Someone
from Schoolcraft, MI
signed.

Dec 19th, 2015

Someone
from Logan, UT
signed.

Dec 19th, 2015

Someone
from Brooklyn, NY
writes:

This is a debacle. The Koch Brothers connive to use a real and necessary movement to reform drug and criminal prosecution to protect their already very secure interests. America has seen the countereffects of putting millions of poor and minority people in jail - more than any other country. What we have not witnessed are the benefits from jailing white collar criminals who do far more damage to communities, the natural world, and the economy necessary for continued economic growth. This is not the time to abandon the minimal on-the-books protections that we have.

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Dec 19th, 2015

Someone
from Brooklyn, NY
writes:

This is a debacle. The Koch Brothers connive to use a real and necessary movement to reform drug and criminal prosecution to protect their already very secure interests. America has seen the countereffects of putting millions of poor and minority people in jail - more than any other country. What we haven't seen are the benefits from jailing white collar criminals who do far more damage to communities, the natural world, and the economy necessary for continued economic growth.

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Dec 18th, 2015

Someone
from Bothell, WA
writes:

Why is it necessary for white collar ignorance of the law to be protected? Is there some rational reason why the Wall Street criminals should not got to jail like everybody else? They have hired people to keep them informed. They were not ignorant of the law.